Herring presses for continued regulation of for-profit schools

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring is pushing for continued oversight of the for-profit colleges that are hoping that with the founder of Trump University in the White House, they’ll get relief from the consumer protection regulations that have put the industry in the tank.

Herring joined 20 other state attorneys general and regulators from across the country in calling on the U.S Secretary of Education and Congressional leaders to maintain strong federal protections for taxpayers and for college students who attend for-profit institutions.

In a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and U.S. Senate and House leadership, Herring and his fellow attorneys general highlight some of the ways for-profit schools have harmed student borrowers and detail their concerns over rolling back federal protections that guard students from some of the worst actors in the for-profit school industry.

“Too many students across the country have taken on thousands in student loans based on promises made by a for-profit school only to find themselves in deep debt with no degree or one that may not lead to a good job like the school promised,” said Herring. “I am proud to join my fellow attorneys general in urging Secretary DeVos and the Congressional leadership to maintain federal protections for our students and accountability for for-profit schools.”

Herring and the attorneys general pointed to a number of protections they believe should remain intact, including the Gainful Employment Rule, which ensures students who attend career training programs will qualify for employment and be able to repay their federal student loans after graduation. Herring is also pushing to keep vigorous federal oversight of agencies and organizations that accredit schools and is promoting the continuation of the Borrower Defense to Repayment Rule, which provides a fair and transparent process for students who have been defrauded by their schools to apply for federal student loan relief.